CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/7 April) – Caraga region will bear the brunt of tropical storm Domeng, the fourth storm to hit Mindanao in 2014, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) regional office in El Salvador Misamis Oriental.
Domeng, the fourth storm to hit Mindanao in 2014, will come close as 170 kilometers to this city when it cuts across Caraga region on Thursday, Pagasa-Region X said.
It is expected to make landfall in the vicinity of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur Thursday morning, the state weather bureau said.
Pagasa weather specialist Daisy Baran said the storm is expected to cut across Caraga region and Butuan City late Thursday afternoon or evening.
“Butuan City and Caraga region will bear the brunt of the storm as it makes its way to the Visayas,” Baran said.
Butuan City is the regional seat of Caraga region, which comprises the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Dinagat.
Baran said the high mountains east of Misamis Oriental and Camiguin Island will offer some protection from the storm.
In its website, Pagasa said Domeng is expected to bring five to 15 millimeters of rain within its 400-kilometer diameter.
It said Domeng has continued to move at 15 kph but still packs maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.
Misamis Oriental provincial administrator Edmundo Pacamalan said despite the relative weakness of Domeng the provincial disaster management agency has sent medicines to villages they believed will be affected by the storm.
Pacamalan said they have identified Gingoog City and the towns of Talisayan, Medina and Magsaysay as “areas of concern” because of their close proximity to the storm path.
He said in Gingoog City, they will be closely monitoring Barangays 19, 20, Punong and Santiago.
Pagasa’s Project NOAH has a complete list of barangays that would be affected by storm surges from Domeng but none of these are located in Mindanao. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)